As the online praise for their love grew, Jane’s mood became even more joyful. She wrapped her arms around Patrick’s neck and they gazed deeply into each other’s eyes. Just as they were about to indulge in some affectionate moments, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Jane coughed awkwardly and Patrick reluctantly let go of her. Jane went to answer the door and saw through the peephole that it was Mike. She quickly opened the door for him.
“Grandpa, why are you here?” she asked.
Mike had a serious expression on his face as he looked at Jane without saying a word. Feeling uneasy, Jane didn’t know what else to say.
Patrick came out and caught on to what Jane was thinking from her glance at him, “What’s wrong?”
Jane sat next to Patrick while Mike spoke, “You two got married?”
Hearing this question, both of them nodded their heads in agreement.
“Good job,” said Mike before giving Patrick a playful tap on his forehead with his finger, “Why didn’t you tell me beforehand? You made Jane suffer.”
Jane couldn’t help but laugh when she saw how much pain it caused Patrick; she laughed so hard that she almost fell over backwards.
“But getting married early is also a good thing,” continued Mike, “Otherwise those people online would just keep speculating.”
Mike was very satisfied with having Jane as his granddaughter-in-law; he held onto her hand with an affectionate smile, “If this little brat ever bullies you, remember to tell me first so I can teach him a lesson.”
Jane nodded in agreement, “I understand grandpa.”
“I won’t bully her,” added Patrick quickly which earned him another stern look from Mike.
Then he turned serious again, “Now that you have your marriage certificate, when will you have your wedding ceremony?”
The couple exchanged glances; they hadn’t discussed this yet.
“Without even a wedding ceremony, you little rascal. Who do you think you are, wanting to get married like this?”
Little did they know, Patrick faced criticism from Mike again.
“It’s not his fault, we’re all very busy, and finding time to come and register was already a challenge.”
Jane explained on Patrick’s behalf, calming Mike down.
“I see that there are quite a few auspicious days in the next few months, you can choose one.”
Then, Mike took out his phone from his pocket and carefully analyzed the almanac for that day, discussing it with the couple.
Finally, they decided on the fifteenth of the following month for the wedding.
With the wedding date set, they started discussing the details of the ceremony.
“What do you think about having the wedding in a church?”
Mike offered his suggestion, but both of them shook their heads simultaneously.
“How about at the beach? Jane has always loved the sea.”
Patrick suggested, looking at Jane with confidence.
Jane nodded, giving her silent approval.
“Great, you know Jane’s preferences so well. You’re not being a useless husband.”
Mike teased with a smile, then proceeded to order the flower arrangements online.
Considering the large quantity of bouquets required on the day, they had to consult with the florist well in advance.
“Champagne roses and sunflowers, I think they would be great choices.”
Jane pointed at the pictures on her phone, and both Patrick and Mike agreed to decorate the venue according to Jane’s preferences.
Following that, Patrick sent someone to the flower shop to make the necessary arrangements.
They also discussed the main color scheme for the wedding and Jane’s wedding gown.
As the saying goes, the wedding gown is a lifelong dream for a woman, and Jane was no exception.
Patrick’s eyes were filled with determination to make Jane the most beautiful bride.
Soon, the group had been discussing the wedding details into the evening. Jane rubbed her shoulders, as she had spent the entire afternoon looking at the wedding decorations on her phone, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, at the Duncan Group headquarters.
Kevin anxiously stared at the screen of his computer. Today was the deadline Romeo had mentioned for the project, and if they could get through today, the Duncan Group would be saved.
Maltz Group had been pressing them relentlessly for the past few days, and the Duncan Group had been holding on, relying solely on the project Romeo had in mind.
And today, the entire company was waiting for Romeo’s call.
After eight o’clock, the quiet office still hadn’t received any phone calls.
Kevin fell into contemplation and picked up his phone, preparing to call Romeo.
But just then, the phone on the other end rang: “Hello, the number you dialed is no longer in service.”
This news struck Kevin hard. He tried calling Romeo again, but received the same message of the number being out of service.
Romeo had actually cancelled his phone number!
Kevin immediately went online to search for Romeo’s company. Strangely enough, the once prominent listed companies had all vanished without a trace.
Did a living person just disappear from the world like that?
Kevin’s lips trembled slightly. The employees below were still waiting for him to talk about Romeo’s project, but now that he couldn’t reach him, how was he supposed to face them?
Kevin’s features scrunched together, and he held his head, not knowing what to do in that moment.
He had invested all his funds in Romeo’s name, and now Romeo had run away with the money. Duncan Group, without funds or projects, couldn’t hold on for much longer.
Kevin’s eyes filled with malice as the attacks from Maltz Group on his computer screen became even more fierce.
Duncan Group was already on its last legs, watching as Maltz Group relentlessly attacked, yet having no means to fight back.
During this time, numerous employees had resigned. The promised salary and benefits from the company were nowhere to be found. Many people were already considering changing jobs.
Now, unable to produce even the most basic funds, Kevin clenched his teeth and shook his head helplessly.
In the end, Maltz Group breached Duncan Group’s last line of defense, signifying the company’s failure.
He clenched his hand into a fist, and the company’s stock plummeted to its lowest point.
Lost and disoriented, he walked in front of his employees, looking at their eyes that had transformed from anticipation to disappointment, dealing another heavy blow to Kevin.
“Romeo… has run away.”
Kevin informed the employees of this fact, his voice becoming hoarse.
Several employees stood up, packed their belongings, and left Duncan Group.
At this point, Kevin had no power to retain these employees any longer. He could only stand in place, watching them leave one by one.
This time, Kevin had truly and completely failed.